'Disappointed' Premier won't discipline minister for role in Foley scandal

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will not discipline one of her ministers for dragging the harassment allegation against Luke Foley into the public domain against the wishes of the woman involved.

Ms Berejiklian on Friday said she was "disappointed" ABC journalist Ashleigh Raper had no control over the airing of the harassment allegation against Mr Foley by Corrections Minister David Elliott in Parliament last month.

But under repeated questioning at a press conference, the Premier refused to admonish Mr Elliott publicly and indicated there would be no consequences for his actions in terms of his role in her government.

"I am disappointed her ability to choose what she said, when she said [it], if anything was taken out of her control," Ms Berejiklian said on Friday.

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Mr Elliott requested privacy as media assembled outside his home on Friday morning, and later issued a short statement in which he said it was "it was never my intent to cause distress for the journalist."

Mr Elliott's reaction to the scrutiny was treated with contempt by some of his colleagues

"You gave her no privacy. She obviously wanted it, or she wouldn't have avoided making a statement for two years," one Liberal MP said.

"If we want people to take politics seriously, we need to start acting with some integrity."

Another MP said Mr Elliott should have "faced the music" and held a press conference explaining his decision.

"If I was in his position, I would have rung the journalist personally and apologised," the MP said. "Sometimes you just get it wrong and you've got to front up to it."

Another colleague was far less forgiving, describing Mr Elliott's actions as "appalling."

"I don't David thinks much about his actions. He'll wear it as a badge of honour for taking out Luke Foley," the MP said.

Ms Raper criticised the use of her situation for "political point scoring" in a statement on Thursday in which she accused Mr Foley of putting his hand down her underwear at a Christmas party at Martin Place Bar in November 2016.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and David Elliott on Thursday.Credit:Janie Barrett

In her statement, Ms Raper highlighted Mr Elliott's role in bringing the matter into the public domain by raising it in NSW Parliament last month, which she said "occurred without my involvement or consent".

Though Mr Elliott did not name Ms Raper, she said the "matter then became a state and federal political issue and resulted in intense media attention."

She said she had decided against commenting or making a complaint against Mr Foley because she "feared the negative impact the publicity could have on me personally and on my young family", as well as the potential implications for her job as a state political reporter.

"I have long held concerns over the character of the alternate premier.

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"To that end, it was never my intent to cause distress for the journalist."

The Premier said Mr Elliott's statement was "a matter for him" when questioned whether he should issue an apology.

“Look, I've expressed my disappointment and I made that very clear. I've expressed that and I'll continue to on a whole range of levels,” Ms Berejiklian said in response to this line of question.

Ms Berejiklian said she had not given Mr Elliott her endorsement to raise the allegation under parliamentary privilege last month.

Luke Foley has announced his resignation as NSW Labor leader, but denied the allegations made against him.Credit:Janie Barrett

"They [the comments] were not premeditated," Ms Berejiklian said.

The Premier was repeatedly pressed as to whether Mr Elliott would face any consequences for his role.

She did not directly engage with this line of questioning, and instead focused her response on offering support for Ms Raper.

"The person who suffered the most deserves to have her career in tact, deserves to be able to get on with her life and her job," Ms Berejiklian said. "I respect every single word she uttered in her statement."

ABC reporter Ashleigh Raper.Credit:ABC

"All of us who have worked with her, who have been in her presence know how incredibly intelligent, professional she is. Her best career days are ahead if her."

The press conference ended on a tense note, with Ms Berejiklian pursued by reporters as her media advisers called an end to the questioning after five minutes.

"I ask you respect the press conference I just held, and I ask you to respect the comments I made and how deeply I've been impacted by what happened," she said.